Technology is how things are made to solve problems. A group of Year 7 and 8 students met with Mrs Leckie with hands-on learning challenges around technology.
We were learning to 1. Design and develop solutions to problems 2. To be innovative 3. To encourage and develop problem-solving skills 4. Develop skills in applying scientific and technical knowledge 5. Work with elements of competition and fun 6. Take risks with our ideas 7. Transfer knowledge and skills to new situations
We achieved these goals by
Reading the instructions carefully
Drawing a plan, compromising and adapting
Being a good team member and co-operating in our group
Using our prior knowledge
Listening to each other and using our individual skills and knowledge
Organising our time and resources
Being self managing
Building on feedback within our group
Being creative and divergent thinkers
Being positive, persevering, learning and having fun.
The Key Competencies we used in our teams were • Thinking • Using language, symbols and texts • Managing self • Relating to others • Participating and contributing The materials we used were common newspaper plastic shopping bags strings A4 paper sticky tape scissors straws paper clips Technology Challenges usually include: - building towers - grabbing things over a distance - moving an object across a construction e.g. bridges - moving an object with your construction e.g. fishing rod - moving an object down e.g. parachute
Mrs Leckie’s advice is great for Technology Challenges and for life. Here are some of her wise lines. “The base needs to be strong, no matter what structure is going on it.” “Get the paper rollers going quickly.” “Adapt as you go.” “Affirm one another in your group.” “Give people in your team feedback as you go.” “Sometimes it’s the simple ideas that work the best.” “Everything in life is practice!” “Think, talk, listen, share ideas, respect ideas, plan, co-operate, adapt, make, test, re-design.” “One strategy is to quickly sketch your own ideas and then share them in your group. Then combine a number of features from each person’s plan.” “Instead of saying “No,” you could say “How about this idea?” “ Metacognition is vital in the Technology challenge… reflecting and adapting as you go.” “Remember team work.” “ Don’t get distracted.” “ Have fun.” “ Use your prior knowledge and adapt it.” “ Respect people.” “ Listen to suggestions.” “ Use manners.” “ Respect ideas, talk, and come to a consensus.” “ Outriggers give stability.” “There are time limits. The challenge is getting done in time.” “ It’s the effort that people put into it that is the most important thing.”
If you are interested in a career using technology… • There was an article on the front page of the newspapers we were using. Mrs Leckie said it was interesting to read about these students from Southland farms who had gone on to be engineers. She’s sure that they will have taken part in the Technology Challenge too when they were at primary school.
Technology is how things are made to solve problems.
A group of Year 7 and 8 students met with Mrs Leckie with hands-on learning challenges around technology.
We were learning to
1. Design and develop solutions to problems
2. To be innovative
3. To encourage and develop problem-solving skills
4. Develop skills in applying scientific and technical knowledge
5. Work with elements of competition and fun
6. Take risks with our ideas
7. Transfer knowledge and skills to new situations
We achieved these goals by
The Key Competencies we used in our teams were
• Thinking
• Using language, symbols and texts
• Managing self
• Relating to others
• Participating and contributing
newspaper
plastic shopping bags
strings
A4 paper
sticky tape
scissors
straws
paper clips
Technology Challenges usually include:
- building towers
- grabbing things over a distance
- moving an object across a construction e.g. bridges
- moving an object with your construction e.g. fishing rod
- moving an object down e.g. parachute
Mrs Leckie’s advice is great for Technology Challenges and for life.
Here are some of her wise lines.
“The base needs to be strong, no matter what structure is going on it.”
“Get the paper rollers going quickly.”
“Adapt as you go.”
“Affirm one another in your group.”
“Give people in your team feedback as you go.”
“Sometimes it’s the simple ideas that work the best.”
“Everything in life is practice!”
“Think, talk, listen, share ideas, respect ideas, plan, co-operate, adapt, make, test, re-design.”
“One strategy is to quickly sketch your own ideas and then share them in your group. Then combine a number of features from each person’s plan.”
“Instead of saying “No,” you could say “How about this idea?”
“ Metacognition is vital in the Technology challenge… reflecting and adapting as you go.”
“Remember team work.”
“ Don’t get distracted.”
“ Have fun.”
“ Use your prior knowledge and adapt it.”
“ Respect people.”
“ Listen to suggestions.”
“ Use manners.”
“ Respect ideas, talk, and come to a consensus.”
“ Outriggers give stability.”
“There are time limits. The challenge is getting done in time.”
“ It’s the effort that people put into it that is the most important thing.”
If you are interested in a career using technology…
• There was an article on the front page of the newspapers we were using. Mrs Leckie said it was interesting to read about these students from Southland farms who had gone on to be engineers. She’s sure that they will have taken part in the Technology Challenge too when they were at primary school.
• Look at this enormous number of jobs that use technology. Follow the links to find out more.
Technology Jobs Overview
Biotechnologist Design/Product Development Engineer
Electronics Engineer/Technician Food Technologist
Product Evaluator Digital Technology Jobs Overview
CAD Draftsperson Computer Systems Engineer
Electronics Engineer/Technician Geospatial (GIS) Analyst
ICT Support Professional Software Developer/Engineer
Software Tester Web Developer
Engineering Jobs Overview
Acoustic Engineer Biomedical Engineer
Building Services Engineer CAD Draftsperson
Chemical & Process Engineer Civil Engineer
Computer Systems Engineer Design/Product Development Engineer
Electrical Engineer Electronics Engineer/Technician
Engineering Geologist Engineering Technician
Environmental Engineer Geotechnical Engineer
Mathematical Modeller/ Mathematician/ Statistician
Mechanical Engineer Operation or Production Engineer
Power Systems Engineer Project/Contract Manager
Quantity Surveyor Robotics/Automation Engineer
Site/Project Engineer Software Developer/Engineer
Structural Engineer Surveyor/Survey Technician
Transportation Engineer Water Resources Engineer
Science Jobs Overview
Agricultural/Horticultural Scientist Biomedical Scientist
Biosecurity Officer Biotechnologist
Chemist Climate Scientist + Meteorologist
Ecologist Environmental Scientist
Environmental/Urban Planner Food Safety or QA Officer
Food Scientist Forensic Scientist
Geologist Geospatial (GIS) Analyst
Marine/Coastal Scientist Microbiologist
Mathematical Modeller/ Mathematician/ Statistician
Physicist or Medical Physicist Product Evaluator
Surveyor
Quantity Surveyor
• Check out this excellent website for more information.
http://www.futureintech.org.nz/